Eye wash fountain



All@ 1, 1961 J. F. cHRls'rlAN v2,994,483

EYE WASH FOUNTAIN Filed Jan. 28, 1960 BY j Z4@ WM United States Patent Office Patented Aug. 1., 1961 2,994,483 EYE WASH FOUNTAIN John F. Christian, Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to the Umted States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army Filed Ian. 28, 1960, Ser. No. 5,319 Claims. (Cl. 239-337) (Granted under Title 35, U.S. Code (1952), sec. 266) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment of any royalty thereon.

The present invention relates to improvements in accessories for bathing equipment, and more specifically to an accessory which will eect an ellicient lavage of the eyes or other sensitive members of personnel engaged in handling irritating or potentially damaging substances, portions of which may find ingress into the eyes of such personnel, resulting in urgent need for suitable volumetric lavage of the affected members for effecting the removal of such noxious materials before substantial damage therefrom can arise.

Under such circumstances, it is highly desirable that such suitable volumetric lavage be accessible immediately and that the washing water engage the aected parts of the personnel without interposition of the hands or fingers or any other extraneous element into the parts being irrigated for removal of such noxious substances.

From the foregoing, it will become evident that the present invention constitutes a device intended primarily to irrigate the eyes of personnel engaged in handling noxious foreign materials wherein portions of such materials may come in contact with the eyes of such personnel, so that such noxious or irritating materials may be removed or diluted with attendant elimination or minimizing of potential injury resulting from the presence of such hurtful agents, while negativing need for interposition of fingers or hands or other also potentially contaminated extraneous elements or materials,

Further objects of the invention will become apparent as the description proceeds and the features of novelty will become apparent from the appended claims.

The improved construction of the present invention will be understood more readily from a consideration of the accompanying drawings, in which- FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the instant equipment; and

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical section thereof, the view being taken on the vertical axis of the equipment, parts being broken away to accommodate the view to the size of the sheet.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be observed that the improved construction of the present invention pertains to a manually operated eye wash fountain for irrigating the eyes of operating personnel that are exposed to potentially harmful or objectionable materials of characters such that the eyes and faces of such personnel are exposed to such objectionable materials which tend to enter and to be deposited therein and thereon, the fountain of the invention being operable by pressure exerted thereon by such personnel to operate suitable valve mechanism either manually or by pressure of the head or forehead for releasing streams of water into and against the eyes and adjacent facial areas for effectively washing away and diluting or neutralizing the objectionable materials to which the individual has been exposed and may have collected in his eyes and facial areas.

The construction as illustrated in the accompanying drawings is shown as including a central shower head-like structure from which extends radially a pair of tubular spray arms, each of which terminates in distal closed ends. Each of the arms is provided with a spray outlet orifice for directing spray streams of wash water or other washing liquid in such manner that the two streams of liquid converge equally and meet at a point in a vertical plane which is perpendicular to the horizontal plane of the two radially-extending spray arms.

The discharge outlets of these spray arms communicate through a liquid passage that extends longitudinally through the respective spray arms with a liquid supply chamber in the central shower-head structure or body of the eye wash fountain, which is mounted in, or on, a side wall or top of a pressurized tank or receptacle containing the Washing water or other aqueous washing medium which is to be ejected through the discharge outlets of the spray arms as low pressure, low quantity streams suitable for direct application to the eyes of an individual containing noxious foreign material so that such material may be ilushed from, or diluted from, injurious contact with the eyes and adjacent facial areas of such individual.

In the accompanying drawings, which show the construction of a preferred illustrative embodiment of an eye wash fountain constructed in accordance with the instant invention, reference numeral 4 indicates the central portion of the device in which is located a valvecontrolled liquid supply chamber 6, the control valve -for this chamber being an important element of the structure.

Structurally, this control Valve for the liquid chamber 6 comprises a valve-actuating member which is located exteriorly of the housing of the washing apparatus of the invention, such actuating member being illustrated as a knob-like element 8, which operates against the pressure of a compression coil spring 10, which extends into the actuating knob 8, the coil spring 10 being maintained under compression by having one end engaging an abutment plate 12 mounted within the knob 8 and the opposite end of the spring bearing against bearing portion 13 of the wash fountain housing, the actuating knob 8 being provided with a central recess 15 for receiving the spring 10, this recess 15 also receiving upper portions of a pistontype control valve, which portions are enclosedly encircled by the spring 10 and interiorly support the spring against distortion.

The valve itself is a piston-type valve, as has been noted above. It projects through the liquid chamber 6 which, as aforesaid, is provided in the central portion 4 of the body `13 of the fountain, and it is formed of a valve piston 14 that closes the chamber 6, and which is integral with a restricted stem portion 16, this latter being of a comparatively small diameter to provide a clearance with the central portion 4 of the fountain body 13, such clearance being the aforementioned liquid-supplying chamber 6. As has been mentioned above, the restricted stem portion 16 is integral ywith the enlarged valve portion 14, and has secured to its inner end an inner valve plate 18 which is surmounted by a resilient valve cover 20, both the valve plate 18 and the valve cover 20 being held in place by a screw 22, the resilient valve cover 20 being intermediate the plate 18 and the inner end of the restricted stem portion 16, and normally seating against seat 24 which constitutes the rim of the chamber 6.

As has been noted above, the restricted valve stem portion `16 maintains a surrounding clearance which functionally defines the chamber 6, which is closed at its inner end by the seating engagement of the valve cover 20 against the rim 24 of the chamber 6, this chamber being closed at its outer end by the enlarged portion 14 of the valve structure. This enlarged portion 14 is encircled by a leakage-preventing seal 26 which is secured within the body -13 of the fountain structure. This enlarged portion 14 of the valve structure defines an annular shoulder 28 with the restricted stem portion 16, the

portion 14 being secured in the valve-actuating knob 8 by the plate `12 which is mounted rigidly in the valveactuating knob 8, this plate 12 thereby defining a locking collar which is s'urmounted by head 17 of the valve piston 14.

The annular shoulder 28 defines the juncture between the enlarged valve piston element l14 and the restricted stem member 16, the clearance around the latter forming, as aforesaid, the liquid supply chamber 6 which communicates with and supplies liquid to liquid passages 30, which extend longitudinally and horizontally through each of a pair of radially extending, horizontally disposed Y spray arms 32. Each liquid passage 30 communicates with discharge outlets 34 provided in top end portions 36 of the radial arms 32, control screws 38 being received in the outer ends of the passage 30, the screws 38 being adjustable with respect to the juncture between each passage 30 and branch passages 40 which lead from each passage 30 to the discharge outletsV 34, the screws 33 being rotatable as may be desired to variably adjust the size of each juncture and thereby to vary the amount of wash water tiowing through the discharge outlets 34 which, ashas been mentioned above, emit low-pressure, low-quantity streams of water, the two streams thereof being in the same vertical plane and inclined equally towards each other so that they impinge upon each other midway between, and some distance above, the two radial arms 32.

Also, as has been mentioned above, the wash fountain of the instant construction is mounted on the top of or in a side wall of a pressurized tank containing the main supply of Water, and which is indicated fragmentarily at 42 on FIG. 2, attachment of the wash fountain to the tank being effected by means of machine bolts 44, or equivalent attaching devices, which are received in apertures 46 provided therefor in attaching lflange or collar 48, a gasket 65 a restricted pick-up tube 50 having an intake port `52 communicating with supply passage 54 extending into the liquid in the tank, the highly restricted character of the pick-up tube 50 necessitating the use of particular coupling means which comprise threadedly interconnected elements 56, S which are provided for connecting the restricted pick-'up tube 50 with an internallythreaded bushing 6?, such defining a liquid-receiving chamber 462 which normally is separated from chamber 6 by the engagement between the valve cover 20 kand the seat 24, the chambers 6 and 62 being brought into communication by unseating the valve cover 20 Vfrom its seat 24 when the pressure on the water in the tank 42 forces the water from chamber 62 into the chamber 6, thence through passages 3G and out through outlets 34.

As will be seen from FIG. 2 of the drawings, the spring 10, being in compression, acts upwardly on valveactuating knob 8 to maintain the knob elevated, with the valve cover 20 seated in closing position against its seat 24. The amount of elevation of the knob 8 must be less, or at most not greater, than'the distance between the annular shoulder-28 and the intake end 64 of the passage 30, so that the latter will not become obstructed responsively to depressionof the'knob 8 against the pressure of the spring until the knob lS engages Ythe body 13 of the fountain. Y Y

From the foregoing description, it will be apparent that When an individual with noxious material in his eyes depresses the knob 8 and places his head, facing downwardly, between and above the pair of radially extending arms 32, the valve cover is depressed away from its seat 24 and low-pressure, low-quantity streams of water are cmittedfrom the discharge orices 34 in each of the armsV 32. As has been pointed out above, these two streams of water are in the same vertical plane, and are inclined equally towards each other and, therefore, will impinge upon each other midway between andV at some distance above the arms 32, so that when the individual moves his head until each stream of water impinges upon 2,994,483 Y i 'i i the outer edge of the eyes, the water then flows across his eyes to flush away, or to dilute, the noxious foreign material.

This washing action occurs whenever the knob 8 is depressed against the compression force of spring 10 until the knob engages the body 13 of the washing apparatus, the valve cover `2l) being moved away from its seat 2'4 the same distance kas the knob 8 is depressed. The unseating of the valve cover 20 allows water to pass around the perimeter of the valve cover and into the chamber 6 above the valve cover. The mechanical seal 26 prevents the water from leaking out around the valve piston 14, the water being forced from chamber 6 through a passage 30 in each of the two arms 32 and thence out through the discharge orices 34 which form theroutlets for branches 40 from the passages 3), the screws 38 being turned as may be desired to vary the size of lthe openings between the passages 30 and their branches `40 so as to regulate the flow of water from the orifices 34.

Upon completion Vof use, release of pressure on the knob 8 enables the spring 10 to return the knob to its original starting position and to -reseat the valve cover 20 against its seat 24, thereby closing the valve and shutting oif the flow of water through passages 30 and discharge orifices 34.

As will be seen from FIG. 2 of the drawings, the control valve is a piston type, self-closing valve which is located within the chamber 6. The tank v42 may be provided with heating means, not shown, so that the chamber 6 may be supplied with warm water to promote comfort to the user and also to inhibit freezing. The body 13 of the washer is integral in construction, including the arms 32, and the Washer does not require mounting supports or brackets for its installation with respect to the ftank 42.

While Vthe foregoing description and accompanying drawings disclose a preferred illustrative embodiment of the instant invention, it will be apparent that structural details may be modified by one skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention, and accordingly, it will be understood that it is intended and desired to embrace within the scope of the invention such modifications :and changes as may be necessary or desirable to adapt the invention to varying conditions and uses, as defined in the appended claims.

'I claim:

l. An eye wash fountain adapted to be mounted on a pressurized receptacle containing Ia supply of wash fluid, the said fountain being adapted to wash noxious materials from the eyes of an individual exposed Vto such materials, Vwhich comprises a body flattenedparallel to the proximal surface of the receptacle, adapted to be `mounted on the receptacle and containing an internal liquid-receiving and dispensing chamber Vas an integral and structural par-t of the aforesaid body in communication with pressurized fluid in the receptacle, a piston valve lin the chamber having an exteriorly extending portion, valve means mounted on the piston valve, -a seat for the valve means Ias an integral and structural part of -the'aforesaid body normally engaged thereby for sealing the chamber against ingress of pressurized fluid, operating means for the piston valve at the distal end of the exteriorly extending portion of .the pistonv-alve, a coil spring encircling the exteriorly extending portion of the piston valve and maintained under compression between the opera-ting means for the piston valve and Lthe body of the fountain, thesaid coil spring normally maintaining the operating means for the valve spaced from the body of the fountain and the valve means seated, and a pair of spray arms as an integral and structural part of the aforesaid body radially extending from a central portion of the body and provided with passage means communicating with the aforesaid chamber and provided with liquid discharge outlets adjacent to end portions of the spray arms, the liquid outlets being disposed to emit low-pressure, low-'quantity streams of uid responsively to depression of the operating means for the valve against the body of the fountain from elevated position, the liquid outlets being also disposed so that the resulting two streams of fluid are in the same vertical plane and inclined equally towards each other so that they impinge upon each other midway between and Iabove the pair of arms from which the streams are emitted.

2. An eye wash fountain as claimed in claim 1, wherein Ithe operating means for the piston valve is a knob-like member mounted on an end of the piston valve exteriorly of the fountain body, the said member being depressible -against the fountain body by forehead pressure of an individual whose eyes are to be washed, each of the two streams of water impinging upon outer edges of the individual eyes, the water then flowing across the eyes lto wash the same, and adjusting means in fthe passage means for adjustably controlling amounts of water emit-ted from the liquid outlets.

3. An eye wash fountain as claimed in claim 1, wherein the chamber communicates with the pressurized water in the receptacle by way of an attenuated supply tube, and reducing connecting means interconnecting the chamber with the attenuated supply tube for supplying pressurized water into the chamber to supply such water to the passage means in the radially extending arms responsively to opening the piston valve.

4. An eye wash fountain as claimed in claim 1, wherein the body of the fountain is an integral one-piece structure, including the spray arms, the body having an attaching ange, and removable attaching means extending through the attaching ange and into the receptacle for removably attaching the body of the fountain to the receptacle with the body interiorly communicating with pressurized water in the receptacle, pressure on the pressurized water causing the same to ll the body of the receptacle and to ilow from the discharge openings responsively to opening the piston valve as a pair of low- 6 pressure, low-quantity streams of water which are in the same vertical plane and are inclined equally towards each other so that the streams impinge upon each other midway -between and above the pair of spray arms.

5. An eye wash fountain as claimed in claim 1, wherein the operating means for the piston valve comprise a hollow knob surmounting the piston valve and secured thereto, the piston valve having a portion projecting from the chamber and entering the hollow operating knob, and means securing the hollow operating knob to the piston valve, the said means being a snap ring defining an abutment collar secured to the piston valve and to the knob, the compression coil spring enclosing the projecting portion of the piston valve and maintained under compression between the abutment collar and the body of the fountain, the spring thereby normally maintaining the knob elevated from the said body of the fountain with the piston valve in closed position, the valve being openable responsively to forehead pressure of an individual against the knob until the 4knob is depressed against the body of the fountain, thereby releasing streams of Water from the fountain for washing noxious foreign substances from the eyes of the said individual who has been exposed to such noxious substances.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 723,770 Wittig Mar. 24, 1903 1,659,470 Owen et al. Feb. 14, 1928 2,482,960 Benson Sept. 27, 1949 2,621,073 Behrens Dec. 9, 1952 2,775,774 Logan Ian. 1, 1957 FOREIGN PATENTS 723,124 Germany July 29, 1942 790,214 Great Britain Feb. 5, 1958 

